Jeremiah 40

1 This is the Lord's message that came to Jeremiah after Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard had released him at Ramah Nebuzaradan had discovered Jeremiah bound in chains along with all the prisoners from Jerusalem and Judah who were being taken into exile in Babylon.

And the word of the Lord came to Jeremias the second time, when he was yet bound in the court of the prison, saying,

2 When the commander of the guard found Jeremiah and he told him, “The Lord your God announced that disaster would come to this place,

Thus says the Lord, who made the earth and formed it, to establish it; the Lord is his name;

3 and now the Lord has made it happen—he has done just what he said he would. This happened to you people because you sinned against the Lord and did not obey what he said.

Cry to me, and I will answer you, and I will declare to you great and mighty things, which you know not.

4 But notice that now I'm removing the chains from your wrists and releasing you. If you want to come with me to Babylon then you can come, and I will look after you. But if you think it's a bad idea to come with me to Babylon, you don't have to go any farther. Look, you're free to go anywhere in the country. Go wherever is good for you—do what you think is right.”

For thus says the Lord concerning the houses of this city, and concerning the houses of the king of Juda, which have been pulled down for mounds and fortifications,

5 Since Jeremiah didn't answer right away, Nebuzaradan went on, “Go back to Gedaliah son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan. He's been appointed as governor over Judah by the king of Babylon. You can stay with him with your people, or you can go anywhere you want.” The commander of the guard gave him a food allowance and some money and let him go.

to fight against the Chaldeans, and to fill it with the corpses of men, whom I struck in mine anger and my wrath, and turned away my face from them, for all their wickedness:

6 So Jeremiah went to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah and stayed with him with the people who were still left in the country.

Behold, I bring upon her healing and cure, and I will show [myself] to them, and will heal her, and make both peace and security.

7 The Judean army commanders and their men who were still in field found out that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam as governor of the country and had put him in charge of the poorest people of the country—the men, women, and children who hadn't been exiled to Babylon.

And I will turn the captivity of Juda, and the captivity of Israel, and will build them, even as before.

8 So they along with their men came to Gedaliah at Mizpah—Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan and Jonathan the sons of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth, the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, and Jezaniah son of the Maacathite.

And I will cleanse them from all their iniquities, whereby they have sinned against me, and will not remember their sins, whereby they have sinned against me, and revolted from me.

9 Geladaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, made them a solemn promise, saying, “Don't worry about serving the Babylonians. Stay here in the country and serve the king of Babylon, and things will go well for you.

And it shall be for joy and praise, and for glory to all the people of the earth, who shall hear all the good that I will do: and they shall fear and be provoked for all the good things and for all the peace which I will bring upon them.

10 I myself will stay here in Mizpah to represent you to the Babylonians when they come to meet with us. You yourselves should get busy harvesting grapes and summer fruit and olive oil, storing them in jars, and living in the towns you have occupied.”

Thus says the Lord; There shall yet be heard in this place, of which you say, it is destitute of men and cattle, in the cities of Juda, and in the streets of Jerusalem, [the places] that have been made desolate for lack of men and cattle,

11 Those people of Judea who were living in Moab, Ammon, Edom, and all the other countries heard that the king of Babylon had left some people behind in Judah and had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, as their governor.

the voice of gladness, and the voice of joy, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the voice of men saying, Give thanks to the Lord Almighty: for the Lord is good; for his mercy [endures] fore ever: and they shall bring gifts into the house of the Lord; for I will turn all the captivity of that land as before, said the Lord.

12 So they all came back from the different places where they'd been scattered and went to Gedaliah at Mizpah in Judah. They were able to harvest a large quantity of grapes and summer fruit.

Thus says the Lord of hosts; There shall yet be in this place, that is desert for lack of man and beast, in all the cities thereof, resting-places for shepherds causing their flocks to lie down.

13 Johanan son of Kareah and all the commanders of the men in the field came to Gedaliah at Mizpah

In the cities of the hill country, and in the cities of the valley, and in the cities of the south, and in the land of Benjamin, and in the [cities] round about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Juda, flocks shall yet pass under the hand of him that numbers [them], says the Lord.

14 and told him, “Do you know that Baalis king of the Ammonites has sent Ishmael son of Nethaniah to kill you?” But Gedaliah didn't believe them.

15 Johanan went and talked privately to Gedaliah at Mizpah. “Let me go and kill Ishmael son of Nethaniah,” he told him. “No one will find out. Why should he be allowed to kill you? All the people of Judah who have joined you would be scattered, so that even those who have survived here would be killed!”

16 But Gedaliah said to Johanan, “Don't do it! What you're saying about Ishmael isn't true.”